Turnpike going strong 30 years on

TURNPIKE Rovers Soccer Club will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a gala function this Saturday night at the Auburn Lodge Hotel. John Delaney, chief executive of the FAI, will head up the guest-list at what promises to be a great occasion. TURNPIKE Rovers Soccer Club will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a gala function this Saturday night at the Auburn Lodge Hotel. John Delaney, chief executive of the FAI, will head up the guest-list at what promises to be a great occasion.
The first committee of the club comprised Tony Gilmartin, chairman; Brian McCarthy, secretary; George Guilfoyle, treasurer; John Pyne and Michael Frawley, PRO/manager; Donal Pyne, Francie Roche and Martin Guerin. Others who were involved at the time include James Gormley, Michael Nugent, Michael Sheridan (RIP), John Lavery, Michael Guilfoyle, Ronnie Pyne and Frank Gormley.
In their first season, Turnpike reached the Division 2 shield final but were beaten by Newtown B on a 4-2 scoreline. They finished third in the Division 2 league in 1983/84 and won the Division 1 shield with a 1-0 victory over Rhine Rovers. In 1985, the club won the Newmarket and Rineanna tournaments. A year later, they finished third in the Division 1 League. In 1987 they just missed out on promotion to the Premier Division when beaten in a play-off.
In the 1989/90 season, the club won the Munster Junior Cup Clare area title. A year later, they won the Premier Shield and were runners-up in the Cheers Cup final. In the 1982/83 season, they were the winners of the Munster Junior Cup Clare area, while in the 1996/87 season they won the FAI Junior Cup Clare area and Division 1 Shield. They retained the Division 1 Shield the following season.
The club promotes a tournament annually and past winners include Syntex, Kilmaley and Newmarket B.
Turnpike has fielded a youths team since 1981 when the first managers were Francie Roche and Martin Guerin. They didn’t do that well in the first two seasons.
In 1983/84, John Pyne was in charge and he guided them to the league, shield and FAI Clare area titles. They had a great run in the FAI competition outside of the county. They beat Oldbridge from Clonmel, 2-1, in a replay, beat TEK from Dublin 1-0 in Dublin, before eventually losing in the quarter-final on a 1-4 scoreline to Athlone in St Mel’s Park. The Midlanders went on to win the title.
In the 1984/84 season, Turnpike had two of their players named as players of the year by Clare soccer.  They were Colm Fitzgerald and Derek McGann.
Among the well-known former players who wore the Turnpike jersey is  Anthony Daly, former Clare hurling captain and now Dublin manager, who was a regular with the side. He is also a former captain of Turnpike.
Padraig Sutton, now a FIFA referee, was Turnpike youths captain.
The club’s roll of honour includes:
Junior
1981: Division 2 Shield runners-up
1983: Division 1 Shield winners
1989/90: Munster Junior Cup, Clare area winners
1990-91: Haughey Cup runners-up; Premier Shield winners
1992/93: Munster Junior Cup (Clare area) winners. (Founder Francie Roche scored the winning goal)
1996-97: First Division Shield winners and FAI Clare area winners
1997-98: First Division Shield winners
1999/2000: First Division League winners; FAI Clare area winners
2006-07: Second Division League winners
2008-09: First Division League winners.
Youths
1983-84: Youths Shield and FAI Clare area winners
1984-85: Youths League and FAI Clare area winners
1986-87: Shield, FAI (Clare area), Munster (Clare area) League and cup winners
1987-88: Cup and league winners and FAI and Munster (Clare area) winners
1989-90: Cup and shield winners and Clare area FAI winners
1990-91: Youths Cup winners
1991-92: League winners and Munster (Clare area) winners
1992-93: Munster (Clare area) winners; runners-up to Oldbridge from Clonmel in Munster Cup; runners-up in Clare Cup final
2007-08: Cup runners-up to Lifford.
Schoolboys
1985: U-12 league winners
1986: U-14 league winners
1991: U-16 league winners
1996: U-11 cup winners
1998: U-11 cup runners-up
2001: U-11 league winners and cup runners-up
2003: U-11 cup runners-up
2004: U-12 cup runners-up and U-16 league winners.
Saturday programme will get underway at 8pm. Some tickets are still available for the event and can be purchased from Ronnie Pyne at 086 8836953, Frank Gormley at 087 2303142 or John Pyne at 087 9143705.